I almost didn’t pick up this book, as the title was a bit… unfortunate. But I’m so glad I ended up reading it anyway! In this quick novella, Cox was able to create two characters that I loved - even though they were flawed and each had t...

Month: July 2011

The heat started right from the start and was very intriguing. A very powerful, wealthy and aggressive Dom going after a hot security guard, a cowboy to boot! As they explored their relationship, their interactions started off sizzling, until their dynamic shifted. Or rather, Luke (the cowboy) finally realizes that their dynamic is not based on love, but something else.

The heat between Griffin and Luke was immediate and intense – I couldn’t put the book down. However, when things shifted for Luke, it was a bit hard to continue reading. The whole “safe, sane and consensual” mantra was, well… missing. I tend to fight it hard to relate as soon as that boundary is crossed. I struggled to continue with the story as it was not clear where it was going. But I kept on, and it was definitely worth it! When Luke figures out what he is really looking for and what a D/s relationship should be about, the results were very enticing.

For the most part, the sex was hot with a good dose of D/s – including some bondage and the somewhat less explored/written about, needle play (I could have done without that, but it was done tastefully). There was a lot of sex, so probably not for someone who likes their plots interrupted or furthered by sexual interactions, and not for the new D/s or m/m reader – there were key missing elements from their D/s play mainly the “safe, sane and consensual” part, along with missing safe words and trust.

I’d recommend this book to those who love a good cowboy story in Texas; hot sex with a new-age feel to a D/s relationship; and most importantly, someone who is committed to reading through the rough parts to get to the goodies awaiting the other side!

The name of this book intrigued me – mostly because I had no idea what it meant. This story is set in Afghanistan and Pakistan, in the middle of the current war. The beginning was a bit confusing as you are unsure not only where the character is, but also what all of the nicknames mean – both are settled somewhat, but I found that the confusion of location was constant throughout. I had to refer back a few pages every now and then to confirm where they were.

This was an intense read, but not because of the sex or interaction between the apparent love interest. In fact, there was no sex until page 105 (other than a random quickie around page 60 or so) – consider yourself forewarned. This is a war story, plain and simple. The main character is searching to find his place in the war as a Pakistani in the U.S. military – on a mission to avenge his fallen brother. The sex was rough and about circumstance, not feeling, lust or love – and it was rough, although it only occurred twice (maybe three times) during the entire book. I wish that there was more of a connection or character development here, as I usually love military men stories.

Out of four…
Overall Read: ♥♥
Sex Heat: ♥
Plot: ♥

Read this book if you are interested in learning about a different perspective of the war and enjoy reading about rough, meaningless sex – although you will be waiting awhile for it to happen!

As the story begins, you find the mind character in his first “long-term” relationship (all of six months), and about to head out on a work assignment to the Netherlands. He’s nervous about the effect his five months away will have on his relationship, but learns that he does not have to worry about that for long. When he arrives in his new country, he immediately runs into Stephan – a colleague who is ready to help him find his way in his new land.

To be honest, I was very disappointed with this book. I am a huge Andrew Grey fan, and I felt that this one lacked his usual magic. There was no passion or connection between the two main characters. I kept thinking how arbitrary their story seemed and how they fell “in love” out of nowhere. I didn’t even know that they liked each other! In addition to their lack of connection, there were a lot of superfluous details about the Netherlands that never played back into the story – perhaps they were edited out, but either way, the details were a bit tenuous. On the positive side, I found myself very interested in the work story and what the outcome would be with that drama – probably not the best sign when reading a romance novel.

The sex was forgettable… really, I don’t really remember them having sex. Grey tried to incorporate a D/s situation, but it was an undertone that was never really brought to light or explored.

Out of four…
Overall Read: ♥♥
Sex Heat: ♥
Plot: ♥♥

This was a quick read and had a fun subplot (the work drama), especially for people who may work in the corporate world and it took place in an unique location. So perhaps this would be a good read for people looking to explore new settings and a light read.

It’s never a good thing when you finish a book and still can’t figure out where the title came from. But to be honest, that was the least of the issues for this story. Luckily, for my taste at least, neither of them were boys in this tale, but instead, they were child-hood friends who finally decided, somewhat randomly?, to take it a step further. The beginning was promising – one of them was coming home to finally take action on their desires. But after things became blurred during their first encounter, the tale just got strange.

Paul, the person who lived in Los Angeles, had some secrets – big ones, that only came to light when Adam moved to LA with Paul as a snap decision, fearful that he’d lose Paul forever – mind you, this was still during their initial encounter. Anyway, what unfolds was so jumpy, unrealistic, and quite frankly, WEIRD, that I’m still not really sure what happened. Think: a random love square (four people, like that play), but I am not sure whom loves who and all of the details.

The focus here was clearly creating as much hot steamy sex scenes as possible – m/f, m/m, m/m/m. The sex itself could probably have been hot since it took up most of the book, but it was so unclear what the relationships were, that the sex became distracting. In the end, I was rolling my eyes quite a bit, and finally, relieved when it was over.

I would not recommend this to anyone. It was way too confusing, even if all you want is hot sex. There were too many partners without any clearly defined roles, and then very end (last five pages), was SO ridiculous, that even if the rest of the book was ok, it destroyed any redeeming qualities.

Before I even start, I must confess that I enjoyed Mykles’ first “band” series (Heaven) – although after the first two, they did seem to be repeating the same themes. That being said, I was excited and a bit weary before reading this one – and I had no reason to worry! This felt like an entirely different story and I was glad that Mykles was able to add new life into this setting. Be forewarned, the story isn’t as straightforward as it appears to be in the beginning few pages – there are some interesting twists and turns (ok, really only one, but still).

As in typical Mykles style, the sex is very… tame and vanilla. The characters are well-written and go through surface transformations; there was room for additional growth, but overall you were able to connect with both characters and laugh and cry, depending on the situation. The strength in this story is the setting (who doesn’t love the fantasy of being with the band?) and the plot. While I was definitely engaged in the characters and excited to see where they went and what happened, they weren’t standouts per se. I’m curious if this will become another series and if so, who will be the next character – I sure hope it’s the manager, not other members of the band…

I think I may have lost my edge if I’m leaving this as an overall three, but it was an entertaining read and a nice rocker love story (even if the sex was tame). This is a great read for beginners, fans of rock gods, and anyone who’s looking for some light m/m romance entertainment.

This was a very short read – about 64 pages or so, and I was wishing that it was longer. Steiger wrote a beautiful story with all of the necessary elements, jammed into a short read. The characters were both complicated and relate-able, even if the circumstances were a bit unrealistic. As you read it, you’re not stumbling over sex or the relationship like so many short stories tend to do – the relationship develops with time, and happens only when forced.

The prose was well written and somewhat inspiring for anyone who fancies themselves as a writer. This was what kept you wanting more. Which is why I wanted this story to be full-length – I want to know how both of the characters developed, a bit more of each back-story, and how they would overcome everything together going forward. While none of those items were addressed in this read, the fact that there is so much more to explore and I STILL enjoyed it, is a feat in itself.

This is a m/m romance – Steiger plays a little with the thought or notion of Dominance/submission, but it’s not fully played out, nor would it be considered D/s (yet – maybe book two?) for those within the lifestyle. The sex, once it happens later in the read, is hot, but the heat comes from their connection, not the graphic details – which is always a nice change of pace.

I would recommend this for anyone looking for a one-sitting read and enjoy every minute of it. Also, great inspirational words are written into the plot for aspiring writers (I’m going to keep this one on my eBook reader in case I need a jolt). Very tame sex, when put in perspective, but a great starter book for anyone interested in the genre without wanting to commit to a full-length novel.

I finished this book a day or two ago, and literally was FUMING throughout – so much so, that I made myself take a cooling off day before writing this review. That being said, I did force myself to finish it to try and figure out the point of the book. Before getting into the review itself, I have to say that I am floored that anyone would dare publish this book – yes, I firmly believe in freedom of speech, but this tale of sexual abuse without conscience (among many other missing pieces), is what perpetuates stereotypes and damages progress. Just saying.

This story was only about sex (sorry, ABUSE) – the plot was not developed, nor was there depth in the characters – which was surprising, as at the beginning, you could see some depth trying to be painted. Unfortunately, that’s where the development ended – and in fact, the character that was discussed, did not end up “coming to life.” There were brief flashes of a consensual relationship between two characters, but even that was peppered with abuse. The characters were not relate-able, the setting was not appeasing, and there was nothing to really grab onto (unless, of course, you enjoy reading about long-ongoing abuse…).

Out of four…
Overall Read: ♥ (zeroes if I could)
Sex Heat: ♥
Plot: ♥

I do not recommend this read for… ANYONE. And furthermore, I will never be purchasing another eBook from this publisher.

I am usually not one for historical reads, but the description of this one intrigued me and I’m glad that I gave it a try. Set in a very different world than we live in now, this story was an engaging tale that explored over-coming circumstances, creating your own family, and the different levels of class within a society – all with smoking hot soldiers. The writing had a few stumbles – there were some paragraphs that either seemed repetitive or irrelevant, but the characters were very well developed and made up for it. There were a surprising number of twists and turns, most that you didn’t see coming, which was a great surprise. The plot was the real strength in this story.

I would not say that I read “LOVE” between the characters in this book, and to be honest, the sex was lacking feeling, but they way it was presented fit within the historical setting and circumstances in most respects. The passion felt between the two main characters was hot, the sex was a bit rough and sometimes forced, but it was always intense. This is correctly categorized as a m/m erotica read with a hint at Dominance/submission, but nothing overt.

Out of four…
Overall Read: ♥♥♥
Sex Heat: ♥♥
Plot: ♥♥♥

I would recommend this read especially for those who enjoy getting lost in a different time and place, especially those who love a good monarch tale. The sex is rough; meaning that there was some forced situations and some hard to read scenarios. This would not be a great starter m/m book, but an enjoyable read for any seasoned readers.